Shropshire 'tornado' damage: Animal rescue centre left wrecked receives £5,000 in donations
An animal rescue centre which suffered damage in severe weather met a fundraising target to pay for repairs in just a few hours.
Staff at Grinshill Animal Rescue, near Wem, appealed for £2,500 to fix the damage, but had topped £5,000 in less than 24 hours.
But miraculously none of the dogs inside the kennels were hurt as the branches missed them.
Jenny Martinez, from the centre, said she'd never seen anything like Thursday's storm.
"It was just weird. It was really bizarre," she said.
"One moment everything was fine and the next we were in a tornado.
"You couldn't stand up at all – it was really scary. I was in shock.
"I was outside when it started and I just ran to a safer area.
"When it was going on I waited in a kennel block with the dogs. I just hoped for the best.
"The dogs were barking a lot. They seemed quite stressed out. Luckily they were in their beds at the time.
"Once it was over we checked all the dogs and that's when we found damage to the roof."
Despite reaching their funding target to help pay for repairs, Mrs Martinez said it won't be a "quick fix".
"We hope it will be sorted in the next week or two. The tree has been removed so now we can start work on replacing the roof," she said.
"The difficulty is it was purpose-built so we are going to need to dismantle what's left of the roof. It won't be a quick fix."
Staff at the centre said they have been "overwhelmed" by the support shown by people since the damage was caused.
In a Facebook post, Kate Aspinall from the centre said: "We have been so truly overwhelmed with all your amazing support, generosity and kindness with donations so far having totalled a staggering £5,480 in less than 24 hours through JustGiving, our website and donations in person."
Thursday's freak weather came just 24 hours before the centre held its fundraising Christmas fair at The Square in Shrewsbury.
There were Christmas decorations, gifts, books and bric-a-brac as well as calendars costing £5 on sale.
The event is one of the rescue centre's key annual events as it helps pay for running costs over the winter.
"It went really well. The weather was good and we raised £570," Mrs Martinez added.
Elsewhere in the region, Thursday's weather saw tornado winds smash windows and flip caravans, leaving thousands of pounds' worth of damage and large areas without power.
Winds of up to 84mph brought chaos to large parts of Shropshire and Mid Wales. It is believed a series of "mini tornadoes" swept across the region.
Builder David Ward, of DAW Construction, reported damage totalling more than £175,000 after a barn the firm was converting in Dodecote Grange, Newport, was "completely flattened". The high winds left the structure in a mangled pile of wood and bricks.
A car was damaged at RAF Shawbury and damage was reported to family accommodation on the base, with roofs affected.
Trees were felled and windows smashed at independent all-girls' Adcote School in Little Ness, near Shrewsbury. Blocking on the school's driveway was also ripped out and the power failed as kitchen staff attempted to prepare lunch.
Power lines were felled at Marsh Lane, Cheswardine, Market Drayton. Trees also fell on the A489 near the Bluebell Inn in Churchstoke, by Pine Trees car park at Nesscliffe Hill Country Park blocking the road and in front of Small Heath Farm on the A442, close to the A53 roundabout at Hodnet closing the road.
